Boston V Darlington

[LoidLucan]

You'd normally think a manager was taking a huge gamble making 3 subs all at once at half-time but it turned out to be an astute move by TW as we dominated the rest of the game and they hardly crossed the half-way line. A good comprehensive victory in which we were solid, well organised and carried a real threat going forward. A great day's work by players and management.

[Darlogramps]

To be fair, it wouldn't surprise me at all if we have a strong end to the season and win at least three of our last four.

It'd be very us.

I know this club far too well.

[Beano]

To be fair, it wouldn't surprise me at all if we have a strong end to the season and win at least three of our last four.

It'd be very us.

I know this club far too well.

We all know what happens next; we win the remaining games and the management team are hailed geniuses.

The players and budget we have at our disposal should be comfortably in the top 10 fighting for the playoffs.

[HarryCharltonsCat]

Can't keep up. Thought TW had wasted his budget on poor signings, now they're a top ten side who should be fighting to go up. Make your minds up.

[grimsbyquaker]

Give TW and AW 5 year deals tonight. Don’t let them off the bus till the ink’s dried

[super_les_mcjannet]

Can't keep up. Thought TW had wasted his budget on poor signings, now they're a top ten side who should be fighting to go up. Make your minds up.

Yes wasted the budget and then had to rely on loans and short term signings, two goalscorers today were kids loaned from Huddersfield that Wright hasn't fancied until he had to give them a chance.

He wasted his budget on Maddison (Not in the 16 and out of squad), Hughes (Couldn't play midfield or get fit enough, left the club), Burn (On the bench but not been fancied since probably October when he was poor), Henshall (Played first half but took off, had no effect on the season) & signed Ainge (A striker who couldn't play up front.

Nicholson & Elliott have been decent signings.

So yep wasted budget and had to resort to loan signings to bail us out. Over to the club to see if they want to give him another go with probably another £250k/£280k to spend next year.

[Darlo_Pete]

Give TW and AW 5 year deals tonight. Don’t let them off the bus till the ink’s dried

Exactly, sounds like we played really well, against what was a team in form. Can't wait for the highlights.

[Darlogramps]

Can't keep up. Thought TW had wasted his budget on poor signings, now they're a top ten side who should be fighting to go up. Make your minds up.

Ah yes, HarryCharltonsCat - the Darlington fan who hates Darlington fans.

Everything you say is slagging off your fellow supporters. Try being positive for a change. Even I'm positive every once in a while.

The equation is quite simple. With a budget that is competitive, TW has taken us into the bottom third.

Even with a good finish, it doesn't change the fact he's massively underperformed and wasted a competitive budget.

[biccynana]

Give TW and AW 5 year deals tonight. Don’t let them off the bus till the ink’s dried

Exactly, sounds like we played really well, against what was a team in form. Can't wait for the highlights.

Were they? Before today their record since the start of March was W2 D2 L3.

[poppyfield]

Again no idea how this one will go, Boston have an unlikely chance of a playoff spot, on the other hand TW says we can now play without the pressure of relegation ( I'm still in the mathematically certain camp) and we can go and express ourselves , so I think we will get thumped.
Sorry I am drained of any positivity

Really pleased to be proved wrong (yet again) brilliant result.

[grimsbyquaker]

We could finish 13th with a late charge/other results going our way. I’d be happy enough with that.

[HarrytheQuaker]

It just shows that people need to keep the faith and support the lads.. Negativity is NOT needed like last week we were WINNING and a section of the shed (Cockends) were singing we want Tommy OUT and we were winning FFS... Yes it's not been a great season but we are not barca and never gonna steam roll teams

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[AndyPark]

It just shows that people need to keep the faith and support the lads.. Negativity is NOT needed like last week we were WINNING and a section of the shed (Cockends) were singing we want Tommy OUT and we were winning FFS... Yes it's not been a great season but we are not barca and never gonna steam roll teams

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[loan_star]

You'd normally think a manager was taking a huge gamble making 3 subs all at once at half-time but it turned out to be an astute move by TW as we dominated the rest of the game and they hardly crossed the half-way line. A good comprehensive victory in which we were solid, well organised and carried a real threat going forward. A great day's work by players and management.

To be honest i thought we dominated as soon as the 451 formation was switched to 442 midway through the first half.
After today however Henshall can't complain if he isn't given any more chances. Both formations were both set to help his style of play (i.e. don't worry about defending and get at the full back) but yet again he just wasn't at the races. Would do something half decent then immediately do something crap then vanish for a few minutes.
Palmer had his best game in a while, was the driving force in the middle.

[Darlogramps]

It just shows that people need to keep the faith and support the lads.. Negativity is NOT needed like last week we were WINNING and a section of the shed (Cockends) were singing we want Tommy OUT and we were winning FFS... Yes it's not been a great season but we are not barca and never gonna steam roll teams

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Why do TW's fanboys constantly need to resort to this level of exaggeration?

No one is expecting us to be "like Barca" and "steamroll" teams. It's a stupid argument that no one states, ironically other than TW's fanboys.

But nor do I expect us to be given a competitive budget and for it to be wasted. Or for us to end up in a relegation battle when we have the resources to be achieving much more.

There's also a certain irony/hypocrisy in HarryTheQuaker calling for no negativity, before calling fellow supporters cockends.

[theoriginalfatcat]

It’s obviously great to get a win, but wouldn’t it be so much better for everyone if we could manage to get results when it really mattered, like at home in The Trophy, or at home in the F.A. Cup, or in numerous other points throughout this season before the milk went sour.

[LoidLucan]

Can't keep up. Thought TW had wasted his budget on poor signings, now they're a top ten side who should be fighting to go up. Make your minds up.

I think all that people have done is reported how they saw today's game. But if you're going to widen the debate it does need pointing out that in the second half today, when we were in total control of the game, 1 of TW's 7 summer signings was on the pitch. That 1 played very well and is a real asset to the defence but was signed as a striker.

[HarryCharltonsCat]

I agree, his signings haven't performed. I was questioning why it was felt we suddenly had a squad capable of pushing the play offs when it blatantly isn't.

[HarryCharltonsCat]

Can't keep up. Thought TW had wasted his budget on poor signings, now they're a top ten side who should be fighting to go up. Make your minds up.

Ah yes, HarryCharltonsCat - the Darlington fan who hates Darlington fans.

Everything you say is slagging off your fellow supporters. Try being positive for a change. Even I'm positive every once in a while.

The equation is quite simple. With a budget that is competitive, TW has taken us into the bottom third.

Even with a good finish, it doesn't change the fact he's massively underperformed and wasted a competitive budget.

Some Darlington fans. Get it right. I merely couldn't understand how a squad deemed not good enough last week was suddenly capable of challenging the top 7.

[dsr]

Lots of relevant things said in this thread, along with the inevitable swings from "He must go" to "Brilliant", when we find ourselves in a situation where we clutch at good or bad straws as the wind blows from game to game.
For what it's worth, my view has always been to give TW a continuing chance; that view hasn't changed. Yes, he has got lots wrong. Yes, he has a lot to learn. But I still see the potential in him and, if he is our manager next season, I feel there is every reason to hope that TW will respond. I am not expecting promotion next season, but I would want to see us in or about the play-offs, ready to take off in 2020-2021.
Now I await the inevitable flack!

[real_darlo_85]

I think the majority accept that TW has not got the results the club or ourselves expected over the duration of the season and that his days should be numbered. However, there are a few who are prepared to give him backing considering the financial constraints the club operate in and this is despite underachieving this season.

The situation that we have faced in recent weeks, trying to avoid relegation, is the culmination of poor results as far back as September and caused a downward spiral. This was only addressed by the board stepping in making budget cuts and player sales, and striking lucky with a few loan signings - the squad is unrecognisable from the one which started in August 2018. In terms of achievements, staying in the division (although is most important) was not the sole intention and it is probably correct that early season optimism of top-10/playoffs should have been capable with the budget at TWs dispense. I am convinced that any club with the resources to do so would have cut ties with the management long before now. So it remains to be seen what plans if any are in place in preparation for next season but in my view if TW is still in charge come July/August then he is a very lucky man in the last chance saloon.

[Wiseacre]

Why not? If he can turn out a team to play like that - I've always said he had it in him somewhere. Loved watching Thompson showboating towards the end. A decent side well beaten at their place - two great goals - lovely weather - good ale - trains tun on time. Maybe the tides turned like the Witham at Boston stump.

[Darlogramps]

Can't keep up. Thought TW had wasted his budget on poor signings, now they're a top ten side who should be fighting to go up. Make your minds up.

Ah yes, HarryCharltonsCat - the Darlington fan who hates Darlington fans.

Everything you say is slagging off your fellow supporters. Try being positive for a change. Even I'm positive every once in a while.

The equation is quite simple. With a budget that is competitive, TW has taken us into the bottom third.

Even with a good finish, it doesn't change the fact he's massively underperformed and wasted a competitive budget.

Some Darlington fans. Get it right. I merely couldn't understand how a squad deemed not good enough last week was suddenly capable of challenging the top 7.

You're talking as if all those critical of Wright speak as one homogenous blob, all with the same opinion.

It's more nuanced than that (as you well know). Some will think Wright's not getting the most out of the players. Others will think he just recruited poorly. I'm in the latter camp. Beano seemingly is in the former.

But you've deliberately conflated the two because it enables you to have a pop at other Darlington fans, which you do a lot.

Out of interest, what's your opinion on Wright? Do you think he should stay for next season?

[Darlogramps]

Lots of relevant things said in this thread, along with the inevitable swings from "He must go" to "Brilliant", when we find ourselves in a situation where we clutch at good or bad straws as the wind blows from game to game.
For what it's worth, my view has always been to give TW a continuing chance; that view hasn't changed. Yes, he has got lots wrong. Yes, he has a lot to learn. But I still see the potential in him and, if he is our manager next season, I feel there is every reason to hope that TW will respond. I am not expecting promotion next season, but I would want to see us in or about the play-offs, ready to take off in 2020-2021.
Now I await the inevitable flack!

It's not an unreasonable opinion at all to say you think Wright should stay.

For me though, when I look at his entire career, I just see mediocrity, particularly at this level. He got Corby relegated from this division (after a promotion of course, but he took them down and was swiftly sacked the following year).

With a full-time Nuneaton, he left them in a relegation fight. And with us, given proper backing and a competitive budget, we're in the bottom third. And throughout his reign here, we've been terminally inconsistent, and it's now doing real damage to the attendances, which are crucial for us as a fan-owned club.

I don't agree with the "He's young, he'll learn" argument. This is his third job and he's been a manager for over five years now. Some errors are just so basic, someone even with a few years experience shouldn't be making them.

I also don't think there have been any wild swings game-to-game. People now I think are fairly set in their views on Wright.

We've had two good results, and his supporters are leaping on that, but that doesn't make up for 18 months of turgid mediocrity.

[onewayup]

I said in another post a few weeks ago that TW/AW should be given 10 weeks into next season, and was castigated for even mentioning it, oh how things change,
I still believe that the club will try for continuity as I think that the management team have learned valuable lessons this season which won't be repeated.

[Darlogramps]

I said in another post a few weeks ago that TW/AW should be given 10 weeks into next season, and was castigated for even mentioning it, oh how things change,

In the words of Theresa May, nothing has changed.

Giving someone 10 weeks at the start of a season was, and remains, a stupid idea.

Whoever is in charge on the first game of the season, we plan for them being in charge come May 2020. Anything else is a recipe for disaster.

And if after 18 months of him being in charge here, you're not convinced he should be given a full season, we should be getting rid this summer.

[Spyman]

Why not? If he can turn out a team to play like that - I've always said he had it in him somewhere. Loved watching Thompson showboating towards the end. A decent side well beaten at their place - two great goals - lovely weather - good ale - trains tun on time. Maybe the tides turned like the Witham at Boston stump.

This is the biggest problem I have with Wright to be honest - yesterday, and a handful of other times this season, shows our players are capable of putting these performances in. But it happens so rarely and we swing from these results to dire performances in the space of a few days.

It makes you think maybe the good performances are just luck - are we coming across these teams on an off day? Why can't Wright get these performances more consistently?

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[theoriginalfatcat]

My view (for what it’s worth) is that there needs to be a change.

I like Tommy Wright a lot, he has a lot of good things going for him but this season has been awful. Quite simply he’s not very good at creating and organising a football team to win matches. Other managers are contstantly out foxing him and we always seem to be nearly there, but never quite there.

However I also feel that mistakes have been made higher up as well. I feel that T.W. hasn’t had enough backing and help from above, and I mention this because if he does stay next season I reckon that he will need a clearer plan, more help, and possibly another member of the managing staff to ease the load on him. Gray had a huge number assistants to help him on his way.

So to me it would be better to start anew, but if he stays I won’t be overly fed up, he perhaps just needs more input from others.

[Beano]

Why not? If he can turn out a team to play like that - I've always said he had it in him somewhere. Loved watching Thompson showboating towards the end. A decent side well beaten at their place - two great goals - lovely weather - good ale - trains tun on time. Maybe the tides turned like the Witham at Boston stump.

This is the biggest problem I have with Wright to be honest - yesterday, and a handful of other times this season, shows our players are capable of putting these performances in. But it happens so rarely and we swing from these results to dire performances in the space of a few days.

It makes you think maybe the good performances are just luck - are we coming across these teams on an off day? Why can't Wright get these performances more consistently?

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Most of those I stand with are on Spyman’s wavelength. Our squad, despite the issues with recruitment, is far, far better than 19th.

I fear that retaining the management team will add to the frustration and negativity in the supporters which in turn will drop attendances further without a significant upturn in confidence and form.

[grimsbyquaker]

Get them on long term deals and back them in the market